In 1908, a movement was started to create the present parish of Beauregard. A group of business men from DeRidder, Merryville, and
Sugartown went to Baton Rouge while the regular session of legislature was meeting. They were going to present the necesssary bill
for the creation of a new parish. The bill came up, but was voted down by a small majority.
In 1912, the people decided to try again. A meeting was held in DeRidder, and a delegation of men were sent to Baton Rouge. The
bill was again introduced and passed at regular session in the year 1912. The bill went into effect 1 January 1913.
The new parish was named "Beauregard", in honor of the great Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. General P.G.T.
Beauregard had graduated second in his class from United States Military Academy at West Point. He was also in command of the
Confederate troops at Charleston, South Carolina in 1861. It was on his order that at 4:50 a.m. on the 12 April 1861, the first
shot in the Civil War was fired.
In 1912, a temporary set of police jurors were appointed by the governor:
W. W. Farque
Harold Iles
J. I. Nichols
T. E. Hyatt
J. W. Tooke.
The parish seat had two candidates: DeRidder and Singer. An election was held and DeRidder won.
The first parish officers were:
Sheriff - W. A. Martin
Tax Assessor - T. W. Stewart
Clerk of Court - J. H. McMahon
Coronor - Dr. J. D. Frazar
parish State Legislature - Frank Powell
parish Superintendent of Education - L. D. McCollister
All of the above served until January of 1916, when the next term began.
A listing of the old towns can be found here. Click Here
Maps
Map of Beauregard Parish showing the railroads and post offices. click here
